Low trauma adhesive article

Abstract

A low trauma pressure-sensitive adhesive coated substrate comprising a sheet material, tape or laminate structure designed to adhere to skin or like surfaces. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of this adhesive coated substrate is a fibrous adhesive layer generally having a basis weight of from 5 to 200 g/m 2 applied to a conformable backing or substrate. The fibrous adhesive layer has a textured outer face and persistent porosity between discrete adhesive fibers. Generally, the fibrous adhesive layer has a MVTR (measured by ASTM E 96-80 at 40° C.) of at least 1000 g/m 2 /day, preferably at least 6000 g/m 2 /day.

We claim:  
     
       1. A low trauma adhesive coated substrate comprising a backing substrate formed of an absorbent material having a water absorbency of at least 100% and a fibrous adhesive layer said fibrous adhesive layer comprising an entangled web of discrete pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers, with a basis weight of 5 to 200 g/m 2  of which pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers are adhesive along their entire length, of which entangled web of discrete pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers is persistently porous and has a MVTR of at least 1000 g/m 2 /day, said adhesive coated substrate having an initial adhesion to dry skin of at least 20 g/2.5 cm (0.08 N/cm), an initial wet skin adhesion of at least 20 g/2.5 cm (0.08 N/cm), and provides a TEWL after 10 tape pulls per day for two consecutive days of less than 20 grams/m 2 /hour at 0.5 hours after the last pull, with an original TEWL of from about 3 to 7 grams/m 2 /hour. 
     
     
       2. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the backing substrate is breathable and the adhesive web has an MVTR of at least 6000 g/m 2 /day. 
     
     
       3. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 2  wherein the backing substrate is a nonwoven web. 
     
     
       4. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 2  wherein the backing substrate has a basis weight of from 15 to 200 g/m 2 . 
     
     
       5. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 2  wherein the backing substrate has a basis weight of from 20 to 150 g/m 2 . 
     
     
       6. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 3  wherein the backing substrate has a basis weight of from 25 to 100 g/m 2 . 
     
     
       7. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the cumulative keratin removed from an average subject by the low trauma coated substrate is less than the cumulative keratin removed after 20 pulls by a similar substrate coated with a comparable continuous hot-melt adhesive coated substrate. 
     
     
       8. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 7  wherein the cumulative keratin removed from an average subject is at least 20 percent less with the low trauma adhesive coated substrate than with the comparable continuous hot-melt adhesive coated substrate. 
     
     
       9. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the backing substrate has a hand of less than 100 grams. 
     
     
       10. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 2  wherein the basis weight of the adhesive layer is from 20 to 100 g/m 2 . 
     
     
       11. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the backing substrate has no liquid absorbent layers over that portion of the laminate provided with adhesive. 
     
     
       12. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive coated substrate has an initial adhesion to dry skin of from 20 g/2.5 cm (0.08 N/cm) to 100 g/2.5 cm (0.39 N/cm). 
     
     
       13. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive coated substrate has an initial adhesion to dry skin of from 30 g/2.5 cm (0.12 N/cm) to 70 g/2.5 cm (0.27 N/cm). 
     
     
       14. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive layer comprises commingled pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers and non-pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers. 
     
     
       15. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers comprise a blend of a pressure-sensitive adhesive phase and a thermoplastic phase. 
     
     
       16. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers have two or more layers along the length of the fibers at least one layer being a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer forming at least a portion of the outer surface of the fiber and at least one second layer of a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
       17. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 16  wherein the layers are side by side. 
     
     
       18. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 16  wherein the layers are concentric. 
     
     
       19. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 16  wherein the layers are coextensive and continuous along the length of the fiber. 
     
     
       20. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 19  wherein there are at least three alternating layers. 
     
     
       21. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the fibrous adhesive web is formed of melt blown pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers. 
     
     
       22. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the fibrous adhesive web is formed of spunbond pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers. 
     
     
       23. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers have an average diameter of less than about 100 microns. 
     
     
       24. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers are formed from a tackified rubber-resin adhesive. 
     
     
       25. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 24  wherein the tackified rubber-resin adhesive comprises an A-B type block copolymer and a compatible resin. 
     
     
       26. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive fiber comprises a polyalphaolefin adhesive. 
     
     
       27. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers comprises an acrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive. 
     
     
       28. A method of using an adhesive coated substrate comprising: 
       a) providing a backing substrate of an absorbent material having a water absorbency of at least 100%, said backing being provided with a fibrous adhesive layer said fibrous adhesive layer comprising an entangled web of discrete pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers with a basis weight of 5 to 200 g/m 2  of which pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers are adhesive along their entire length, of which entangled web of discrete pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers is persistently porous and has a MVTR of at least 1000 g/m 2 /day said adhesive coated substrate having an initial adhesion to dry skin of at least 20 g/2.5 cm (0.08 N/cm) and an initial wet skin adhesion of at least 20 g/2.5 cm (0.8 N/cm); and  
       b) adhering the adhesive coated substrate to skin and subsequently removing the substrate such that the adhesive coated substrate provides a TEWL after 10 tape pulls per day for two consecutive days of less than 20 g/m 2 /hour at 0.5 hours after the last pull with an original TEWL of about 3 to 7 g/m 2 /hour.  
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28  wherein the cumulative keratin removed from an average subject is at least 20 percent less from the fibrous adhesive coated substrate than the cumulative keratin removed from an average subject by the low trauma coated substrate is less than the cumulative keratin removed after 20 pulls by a similar substrate coated with a comparable continuous hot-melt adhesive coated substrate. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29  wherein the cumulative keratin removed from the average subject is at least 50 percent less from the fibrous adhesive coated substrate than with the comparable continuous hot-melt adhesive coated substrate. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 28  wherein the adhesive coated substrate has an initial adhesion to dry skin of from 20 to 100 g/2.5 cm (0.08 to 0.39 N/cm). 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 28  wherein the adhesive coated substrate has an initial adhesion to dry skin of from 30 to 70 g/2.5 cm (0.12 to 0.27 N/cm). 
     
     
       33. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  which has an initial dry skin adhesion of at least 40 g/2.5 cm (0.16 N/cm) and an initial wet skin adhesion of at least 40 g/2.5 cm (0.16 N/cm). 
     
     
       34. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  which has an initial wet skin adhesion that is at least about 65% of the initial dry skin adhesion. 
     
     
       35. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 34  which has an initial wet skin adhesion that is at least about 75% of the initial dry skin adhesion. 
     
     
       36. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 35  which has an initial wet skin adhesion that is at least about 100% of the initial dry skin adhesion. 
     
     
       37. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the absorbent backing substrate has a water retention of at least about 25%. 
     
     
       38. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the absorbent backing substrate comprises a nonwoven web. 
     
     
       39. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 38  wherein the absorbent backing substrate comprises a spunlaced nonwoven web. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 28  wherein the adhesive coated substrate has an initial dry skin adhesion of at least 40 g/2.5 cm (0.16 N/cm) and an initial wet skin adhesion of at least 40 g/2.5 cm (0.16 N/cm). 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 28  wherein the adhesive coated substrate has an initial wet skin adhesion that is at least about 65% of the initial dry skin adhesion. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 1  wherein the absorbent backing substrate comprises a spunlaced nonwoven web. 
     
     
       43. An adhesive coated substrate comprising a backing substrate and a fibrous adhesive layer said fibrous adhesive layer comprising an entangled web of discrete pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers, with a basis weight of 5 to 200 g/m 2  which pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers are adhesive along their entire length which webs of pressure-sensitive adhesive fibers are persistently porous, said backing substrate comprising an absorbent material having an absorbency of at least 100%, wherein the adhesive coated substrate has an initial dry skin adhesion of at least 20 g/2.5 cm (0.08 N/cm), an initial wet skin adhesion of at least 20 g/2.5 cm (0.08 N/cm), and an initial wet skin adhesion that is at least about 65% of the initial dry skin adhesion and provides a TWEL after 10 tape pull per day for two consecutive days of less then 20 grams/m 2 /hour at 0.5 hours after the last pull, with an original TEWL of from about 3 to 7 grams/m 2 /hours. 
     
     
       44. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the absorbent material has a water absorbency of at least 200%. 
     
     
       45. The low trauma adhesive coated substrate of  claim 1  wherein the absorbent material has a water absorbency of at least 500%.